Individuals ranging from “do-it-yourselfers” to professional tradespersons frequently employ utility or tool belts that include various pouches, pockets and the like for containing tools and other useful articles necessary for completion of certain tasks. The wearers of such tool belts have varying preferences on where they like their tools to be positioned on the tool belt. These preferences may depend on factors such as frequency of use of a particular tool or implement, weight of any given tool, or even something as simple as left or right handedness of a wearer.
Utility belts available in the marketplace often include pre-existing pockets, pouches, sheaths, or other devices made to hold tools and other accessories on the belt for use on a job. However, the aforementioned devices are positioned and located at a predetermined fixed position on a belt, and neither the tools nor the pre-existing pouches, pockets and other attachment devices are adjustable so as to be located at other positions preferred by a wearer of the belt. There is therefore a need to be able to position necessary pockets, pouches, or other similar devices where they may be most useful, comfortable, and/or convenient to an individual wearer.
Examples of hardware that may be employed for the task of securing tools and other objects on a utility belt in preferred, customizable locations include the use of hook and loop fasteners, carabineers, keepers with slides, buttons, snap fasteners, and other soft snap devices. Generally the problems associated with the aforementioned past methods and devices are the creation of unstable loads, bunching of items in one general location, unreliability of the attachment mechanism, and expense. Also, such past methods and devices are customizable only to a certain degree—the hardware may only be secured at predetermined locations on a belt, for example, sewn-in loops or snap receivers. In addition, the location of the attachment methods and devices associated with known utility belts cannot be repositioned around the waist of a wearer to maximize comfort and convenience to the wearer, or to more equally distribute the weight or load of tools attached to the belt. Such past systems are generally bulky and uncomfortable to the user.
Still further, since pockets and/or pouches sewn onto a utility belt cannot be repositioned, their fixed location may not be useful to a wearer. Some removable attachment systems have been developed, but involve intricate weaving of strapping to secure an object to a garment. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,707. While this is an improvement over permanent attachment systems, such a multiple layer strap weaving system is cumbersome and involves a significant amount of time to install.
Because many tools may be necessarily attached to a utility belt to be sure that a wearer is appropriately equipped for any given job, a utility belt can become heavy. A heavy utility belt supporting many tools and other implements may be particularly susceptible to falling off of the waist of the wearer. Utility and other tool belts known in the art often include an adjustable strap member that circles the waist of a wearer. This strap typically includes male and female buckle members which are able to be coupled and decoupled with one another to secure and release a belt from a wearer. Disadvantageously, utilizing only such an adjustable strap and buckle device can result in the strap loosening while the utility belt is worn due to the weight borne on the utility belt by tools and other useful implements that are in pockets or pouches attached to the belt, or hanging from the belt. If a belt becomes too heavy, it could sag on the waist of a wearer, or even fall off the waist of a wearer.
It is therefore clearly evident that a need exists for a lightweight, low bulk (flat against the user), secure yet comfortable, and customizable utility belt that can be used with a variety of different tools and accessories as well as utilizing a customizable attachment mechanism. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a lightweight, yet durable and adjustable, secure fitting, and comfortable utility belt that allows for precise, customizable positioning of useful implements for the wearer. It is further an object of the invention to provide a utility belt that supports the weight of a modular attachment system which is readily usable to attach a plurality of useful objects thereto, regardless of the weight of implements attached thereto.